On The Run
by albusseverusweasleypotter
Summary: The Dark Lord has risen to power, threatening the existence of every Muggleborn in the Wizarding World. Three of them learn to rely on each other in a common goal to survive. But is friendship and loyalty enough in this war? Rated T just in case


A/N: My first Harry Potter fanfic that I actually **_finished_**! Hurray for me!

**DISCLAIMER**: I do **_NOT_** own Harry Potter, any of its characters. They belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. I am merely a high school student who wrote a piece of fan fiction modeled after the final book in her series. The only time I own Harry Potter and all related 'stuffs' is in my wildest dreams.

I actually wrote this fic because I was bored. Plus, I have a special fondness for Colin Creevey. I wrote the story what life was like for other Muggleborns on the run. I figured it'd be pretty much the same as Harry, Ron, and Hermione's journey(minus the Horcrux-Hallows hunting, of course). Muggleborns also get a very raw deal in the Wizarding World so I wrote a fic especially for them! Hope you enjoy!

BTW, reviews are good for your karma and other junk. XD

"_DIFFINDO_!!"

The figure, who, moments ago, had pinned him up against an old blackthorn tree, attempting to snatch his wand away, was now howling in pain, nursing a deep cut that was slashed into his left arm. Justin Finch-Fletchley scurried to his feet, his wand aloft in a quivering hand but the steely glint of determination present in his pale grey eyes.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!"

Before the unknown man had any idea of what was happening, he found himself on the damp forest floor, his limbs snapped together, his whole body rigid and stiff, the cut on his arm still bleeding freely, staining the carpet of leaves crimson.

Justin turned on the spot, the dry leaves on the forest floor, rustling noisily beneath him. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the darkness of the forest around him. _Where was Colin? And Jimmy?_

The shadows surrounding him were silent, bearing no sign of the two other people who had jumped him and his companions – Colin Creevey and Jimmy Peakes – while they were trekking through the woods. He bit his lip. The wind howled causing several leaves to billow like smoke off the ground.

_Great_, he thought to himself, _bloody bastards disappearing off with those two, HELL knows where they've gone..._

Muttering darkly, he was about to cast a Supersensory charm onto himself when he heard a familiar voice shriek, "_FURNUNCULUS_!"

"AAAAAAAARRRGHHHH!!"

Startled, Justin spun around, holding his wand up with a flourish and was shocked to see Colin Creevey, slowly appearing into thin air. His head, which, at first was suspended, bodiless, in midair was flushed with sweat as his right arm appeared next, revealing that he was holding his wand above himself as he muttered a string of words which Justin recognized to be the Disillusionment Countercharm.

"Bloody hell, Colin", Justin said through gritted teeth, "what was that all about?"

Colin made a gesture to a spot on the ground where the leaves seemed to be throwing themselves into the night air, as though some wild animal was kicking and clawing at them. Colin pointed his wand and murmured the same spell he cast on himself A body of burly man, looking surprisingly similar to Gregory Goyle, appeared. He was writhing wildly as though he were in extreme agony. Justin's eyebrows shot up to hide behind his blond curls, plastered by sweat and dirt onto his forehead. He shot a questioning look at Colin.

"Furnunculus Curse", the younger boy muttered darkly.

"But surely that wasn't enough to do _this_-" Justin made a gesture to the man on the ground, still thrashing about madly, apparently now oblivious to the presence of the two boys, "-to him?"

"Well, normally, no, but, _honestly_, he cast a Disillusionment Charm on me and himself and he didn't bother to take my wand but he was holding both my arms to my back with one hand and covering my mouth with the other. He was dragging me along while he was trying to skulk past you, but I bit his hand and cursed him.Of course, in that state, I couldn't aim properly and hit him in the eye."

Justin winced, trying to cloud out the image of large angry boils popping out of an eyeball.

"Where's Jimmy?" he asked, glancing around the area, as though hoping to see Jimmy suddenly revealing himself like Colin did.

Colin shrugged. "But I'm_ positive _that other guy is still around here somewhere. He'd have made quite a noise trying to run through those tre-"

"_CONFRINGO!!_"

A sound like a cannon exploded and Justin felt himself knocked backwards, sent flying through the air as the force of the spell sent clouds of dust and dirt billowing into the air and leaves were sent dancing through the midnight sky. Justin crashed into the thick trunk of an old oak and fell to his knees. He struggled to stand but his back groaned in protest. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the man he had jinxed, lying flat as a board not too far away and the man who Colin had hexed, still flopping about like a fish out of water. He saw Colin standing bravely, his wand pointing to where the the spell had sounded. His face and clothes were dirtied from the explosion. He was positively caked in grime. Justin almost laughed as he imagined Filch back at Hogwarts, horrorstruck as he looked on at the filth that dared to defy _his_ castle. He came close to sniggering but felt a sudden jolt of pain stab him in his ribs.

He cursed.

_Damn._

The smoke cleared. And he saw a man, tall and pale, standing in the middle of the forest clearing. His dark robes fluttered about in the breeze menacingly as he pointed his wand at them. You would have mistakened him for You-Know-Who if you hadn't noticed the crop of wild blond hair atop his pointed head.

_You-Know-Who _has_ no hair...or at least, that's what Harry said_, Justin thought as he gripped his injured torso, which throbbed painfully causing him to wince.

The man in dark robes wasn't alone. He was holding a figure against him with one arm, his hand, holding a small silver knife, conveniently poised on the other's thin neck. There, his eyes wide with fear...

"Let Jimmy go!!" Colin's voice echoed through the forest. You would've noticed that it cracked slightly and had a slight waver to it but was covered up by a tone of fierce anger and determination.

_Typical Gryffindor._

"Oh, and why would I want to do that?" the man answered mockingly. "I hear there's a great reward for the capture of muggleborns and Harry Potter supporters on the run. "

He had said Harry's name as though it was something that never ought to be mentioned. It rolled off his tongue with a strong air of disgust. Colin's eyes flashed at this. Nobody insulted his hero and got away with it. His hand shook as he raised his wand higher.

The man smirked.

"Oh, going to rescue you your little friend now, are you? Well, I'm not too sure how you're going to go about _that_. You see, one false move..." The man moved the knife suggestively along Jimmy's throat. Justin's breath hitched as he saw small drops of blood cascade down the pale flesh.

Colin's eyes widened and he seemed to be shaking wildly now.

"What do you want?" Justin hissed, still on the ground, clutching his side which was threatening to burst any second.

The man's sinister grin seemed to widen even more.

"Well, I'm glad you asked me that, boy," he exclaimed pompously, his voice barely a whisper yet seemed to echo loudly into the clearing. "Tell you what, you put yout wands down, hands where I can see them and come along peacefully, and your friend will live to see another day. Not too bad a bargain, eh?"

Colin looked torn between the desire to hex the man into oblivion and to save Jimmy. Justin saw his Gryffindor solidarity win this inner battle and he fell on his knees, quaking as tears streaked down his grimy face.

Justin's face fell. He was NOT about to turn himself in to You-Know-Who and be tortured. Or killed. Or tortured _then_ killed. He took his eyes off Colin, who had his face in his hands and stared at Jimmy, his face now pale in the little moonlight that streaked through the gaps in the clusters of leaves above them. His watery blue eyes caught Justin's and the look in them was pleading. A single tear escaped Jimmy's eye and trailed down his cheek, mixing with the blood that had now thinly coated his throat. That was enough to stiffen Justin's resolve.

"All right," Justin whispered, more to himself than anything.

He set his wand on the ground before him. He hesitated before struggling to stand, casting a longing look at the wand. Ten-and-a-quarter inches, Unicorn hair. He swallowed the bile and some little blood that had collected in his throat. He made his way over to Colin who was still shaking, face in his hands. He held his hands up to show the man before putting his arms around Colin who had long cast his wand aside.

"Col?"he said gently, quietly.

Justin felt an elbow nudge into his sore ribs causing his eyes to water in pain. Then he heard Colin whisper, in a voice barely audible, "Trust me,".

Justin raised his eyebrows at this. Colin raised his head. His eyes were red and the tears had left several tracks through the dirt on his face. Still shaking, Colin stood up, his knees looking ready to buckle. The little mouse-haired boy bent down and helped Justin up, one arm slung around his shoulders. Justin limped alongside the smaller boy, wondering what on earth Colin was up to . He just hoped it would work.

They made their way over to the man, leaving their wands on the forest floor behind them. The man's grin turned into a full ear-to-ear smirk.

"Yes, that's it, wouldn't want to lose your little friend, now, would we?" he said teasingly.

Justin had no idea what happened next but all of a sudden, Colin whipped out a wand from his pants pocket and screamed, "_IMPEDIMENTA!"_. A red beam of light shot out of the wand and struck the man right on the chest. If it weren't for the given situation, Justin would've thought the man's expression moving in slow motion something extremely laughable.

"_Expelliarmus!Expelliarmus!_" Colin cried furiously as he flourished his wand.

The knife that the man had against Jimmy's neck shot out of his wand and soared through the air, landing somewhere among the leaves and stones. His wand soon followed after. The Impediment Jinx had now worn off and the man's eyes were now wide with shock and an insane fury. Justin gasped as the man grabbed Jimmy by the neck with both arms and started strangling him. Jimmy, too weak to struggle, gasped and panted desperately for breath as his face turned a deep shade of blue. The man glanced as the two other boys, his hands still on Jimmy's throat. He gave them a maniacal grin as he continued to suffocate Jimmy, whose face was going steadily purple.

"STOP IT!!CAN'T YOU SEE HOW MUCH IT'S HURTING HIM??STOP IT!" Justin screamed as the ache in his ribs worsened.

"_STUPEFY!!_" Colin shrieked, a mad gleam in his eye, not unlike the one when he stalked Harry back at Hogwarts but with an angry fire lit in those dark brown pupils.

Another red jet of light shot out of the wand he was holding and hit the man right on the chest with incredible force, sending him flying backwards several feet, releasing Jimmy who immediately fell to the ground, shaking with unsurpressed sobs.

Justin rushed to Jimmy's side despite the scream of protest from his aching side. He held the younger boy close as he looked on at the man lying on the ground, twitching feebly. Jimmy sobbed harder into Justin's chest as blood continued to trickle down his neck, the top part of his white shirt already a pale red.

"_Accio wands!!_" Colin yelled.

Justin looked up and saw his and Colin's wand zooming through the air towards them. Justin caught his in midair and felt a warmth grow between his fingers as the piece of wood made contact as though wand and hand were rejoicing as the reunion.

"_Accio Jimmy's wand!!_"

Jimmy's wand shot out of the man's trouser pocket, accidentally stabbing him in an area between his legs as it soared towards them. Jimmy raised a shaking hand and grabbed it as he continued to cry unashamed.

"Justin, get us out of here!!" Colin said desperately.

"Right...grab onto my shoulder, Col..."

Inwardly, Justin flinched as he , Jimmy and Colin disappeared into the darkness, going through the familiar sensation that came with Apparating – the feeling of being squeezed into a tiny pipe entirely too small for them, gasping for nonexistent breath. Justin was sure that if he cast an Animation Charm on his ribs at that moment, they'd be screaming bloody murder.

They reappeared on the edge of a large evergreen forest, right near a large meadow. The stars above them twinkled into the darkness as the full moon settled itself lazily into the night sky. The air was silent except for the labored breathing of the three boys.

"Oh, thank goodness..." Colin breathed falling too his knees.

Justin let go of Jimmy who has still hunched over, crying silently, and got up, limping over to a spot a few feet away and began to walk around in a large circle around the area, waving his wand over his head and muttering all the protection spells Hermione Granger had listed down for him via DA (Dumbledore's Army) Galleon.

"._..Protego Totalum...Cave Inimicum...Repello Muggletum..._"

"Wow...that was a close one, eh, Justin?" Colin said in a feeble attempt to lighten the mood but failing miserably. "Good thing I nicked that big bloke's wand..."

Justin grunted as his ribs sent another jolt of pain through him. Jimmy was still sobbin quietly as Colin ran a soothing arm up and down his back.

"Colin, why don't you set up the tent?" Justin said meekly, waving his wand in a complicated motion.

"Right..." Colin murmured, reaching into pants pocket, pulling out what looked like a small piece of fabric along with several tiny twigs and ropes.

"_Engorgio_," he muttered, pointing his wand at the tiny objects in his palm.

Lying out of his hand, the objects enlargened into a tent canvas, ropes, pegs and several tent poles. Pointing his wand at the lumpy mass, Colin murmured, "_Erecto_,".

The canvas sprang up as the poles, ropes and pegs assembled themselves beneath it. The tent itself looked quite plain on the outside, looking as though it couldn't fit two children let alone three teenage boys. Justin pointed his wand skywards muttering an incantation and the air around them seem to shimmer. The older boy walked over to Jimmy and Colin and flopped himself down on the slightly damp grass.

"Well, that's all I can do..." he said thoughtfully. "Hermione herself told me all these spells so I doubt we'd be spotted easily."

Colin nodded. Jimmy seemed to have calmed down, no longer quaking with tears but sitting silently, looking grave.

"Hey, Col? Could you get the healing potions and a couple of salves from the tent? Blimey, my ribs are killing me..."

Colin stood up and bolted into the tent. Justin looked at Jimmy who was shivering.

"You all right, Jim?" Justin asked, his voice full of concern.

Jimmy nodded, not meeting Justin's eyes. Silence.

"Thanks for saving me back there..." Jimmy whispered, as he traced the part of his neck where the knife had been with a finger.

Justin looked shocked then suddenly laughed despite the complaints of the aching bones in his torso. Jimmy stared at him, alarmed. Seeing the look on his companion's face, Justin calmed down, wiping his eyes.

"Ah, mate, if you're gonna thank anyone, thank Colin. He was the one who got us out of that mess,"

Jimmy looked awkward as Justin grinned sheepishly at him.

"Well, yeah, but I'm grateful to you guys," he muttered. "If it weren't for you two, I'd have been dead a long time ago."

"Yeah, well, we muggleborns have to stick together, eh?" Justin said brightly, ruffling Jimmy's messy, dirt-caked hair, earning him a small smile from the younger boy.

Colin darted out of the tent with a small battered box in his hand.

"Sorry it took a while," he said, opening the box. "I forgot which drawer I put the damned things in..."

Inside the box were several flasks and phials filled with strange-looking liquids and a few strips of gauze and bandages.

"You dolt, you could've used the Summoning Charm," Jimmy said, giving a small watery laugh.

"Yeah, well, fighting off those Snatchers addled my brains a bit," Colin said defensively, pouring some yellow-colored fluid onto a piece of gauze.

"Ah, let's hear it for Colin Creevey, the Gryffindor hero!" Justin exclaimed teasingly, clapping loudly while trying to bite down his laughter. Heaven knows how much more his ribs could stand.

Jimmy grinned as he patted Colin on the back, almost causing him to spill the bottle of lavender potion he was now holding.

"Yeah, well..."

Colin didn't seem to have anything else to say as he dabbed the gauze dripping with the acrid yellow solution onto the small yet deep cuts on Jimmy's neck, squinting his eyes at the small wounds on the younger boy's throat.

"Merlin, Jimmy, it's a miracle you didn't die from blood loss..." he said quietly as he continued to apply Essence of Dittany on the boy's neck.

The next morning, the boys found themselves packing up in silence. Colin shrunk the tent and the rest of their supplies and tucked them into his pocket. Justin, his ribs still a bit tender, walked swiftly in circles removing the enchantments he had set the night before. It was crucial that they didn't stay in the same spot for long unless they wanted the Death Eaters to find them and do who-knows-what. It was still early in the morning, the sun still not up and the sky turning palest purple above them with bits of cloud scattered here and there. They trekked quietly across the meadow. Apparently, Justin had Apparated them to a spot where his parents had once taken him in a trip across the British Isles.

"There's a small village just beyond this meadow," Justin said, hand in his pocket, gripping his wand. "It's really tiny, it's not even on most maps. I doubt any Death Eaters will be around, but just in case, we'll cast the Disillusionment Charm on ourselves and try to get some food."

"Good, I'm starving" Colin grumbled, clutching his stomach.

Their dinner last night had been nothing but a few slices of bread for each of them and a few fruits they had gathered in the forest the other day.

"If I was still home right now, I'd probably be eating a good helping of flapjacks..." Jimmy murmured miserably.

Justin glanced at the smaller boy and offered him a look of pity and continued walking.

It had happened early in August when news came out that Snape had become Headmaster of Hogwarts. Under You-Know-Who's rule, Muggleborns were no longer allowed to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and were being hunted down along with their families. Fearing for himself and his parents, Jimmy had run away with his mother and father under the impression that he was going back to school for he hadn't told them about the Muggleborn Registration Commisson. Apparently, he had been living off the streets in London when Justin found him, he himself on the run after altering his parents' memories so that they'd go off and stay with his relatives in America until further notice. Colin had joined them when they found him sitting forlornly outside King's Cross Station, looking longingly at the barrier between Platforms Nine and Ten. Unlike them, Colin had been completely honest with his parents and told them all about what was happening in the Wizarding World. Now, they were currently in France, where Death Eaters were less likely to congregate, using almost all their life savings to get there (Colin's father was a milkman and the pay wasn't exactly extravagant). From what he had told them, Justin understood that Colin had told them he was going off to meet with "_Harry Potter, the hero of the Wizarding World!_" and assured them he was going to be fine after several arguments (and a few Confundus Charms). His brother Dennis, who was just as stubborn as Colin, had thrown quite a fit when Colin had refused to take him along. Regretfully, A few days before his family headed for France, Colin had slipped some Weasley Wizard Wheezes into his brother's morning porridge (" It's the Deluxe set,_" _George Weasley had said. "He could be sick for_ days,_", "_Weeks _even," Fred had added.). So while his parents took care of Dennis, forcing him to take disgusting homemade remedies his mother cooked up, Colin sneaked off, with no real idea on where he was going. _At least they'll be safe_, Colin had said to himself.

A few weeks ago, Justin had tuned in to _Potterwatch_, a radio program established by Lee Jordan, a friend of the Weasley twins and found out that Jimmy's parents had barely escaped being murdered by Death Eaters who invaded their home. _"Apparently, they didn't realize that Tinworth in Cornwall has a fairly large Wizarding Community with it's fair share of Aurors who are supporting the movement against the new regime," _Lee had said, his voice crackling on the Wizard Wireless. _"The Peakes are now in St. Mungo's recovering from the ordeal and to anyone out there knows the whereabouts of their son, Jimmy, they are _desperate _for news."_

Jimmy had burst into tears at the news, horrified that they had been attacked by You-Know-Who's supporters but relieved to know that they were still alive. From what they heard on the news, Muggle families who had survived attacks had had their homes protected by several enchantments (unbeknown st to them, of course). This was a bit of a relief for the three boys but it did not ease the anxiety they were feeling as they wondered about the safety o their families.

Colin rushed up the hill with Justin and Jimmy in his wake. The sun was starting to rise, painting the horizon a bright gold. They could feel the grass beneath them, wet with dew as they raced up the slope. Justin had told them that the town was just beyond the hill they were currently climbing.

"Colin, slow down!" Justin called after him, unable to keep with the taller boy's strides.

"Hurry up, you lot!" Colin said loudly, standing at the peak of the hill. "I'm hungry!"

Justin's eyes widened. He whipped out his wand and pointed it at Colin whose mouth opened and closed but no sound came out.

"Why did you do that?" Jimmy asked, looking confused.

"He's being too noisy," Justin said, matter-of-factly. "I know this area here is, well, a bit of 'the middle of nowhere', but we can't risk being seen here. Underage wizards out of school, they'll know what we are, right?"

Jimmy nodded grimly as they caught up with Colin, who was glaring daggers at Justin. Justin lifted the spell with a flick of his wand.

Down below at the bottom of the hill was a small town, composed mostly of little wooden homes and what appeared to be a small grocery.

After debating whether they should conceal themselves magically or not, they cast Supersensory Charms on themselves and trotted down the hill into the tiny store.

Justin selected a few fruits and vegetables, ignoring what Colin had said about him being their new "mother", and a few slabs of meat and chicken. Colin had wandered off into the faroff shelves and had brought back several canisters of soda and juice. ("Why _bother_ buying orange juice when I have oranges right here?!" Justin cried indignantly. "A whole lot of these is cheaper than one bottle of _that_ stuff!") Colin grudgingly returned the bottles after Justin swore to hex him after saying 'Yes,_mum_'. Justin was about to pay for the food when Jimmy staggered up pouring an ungodly amount of chocolate on the counter. The store clerk raised his eyebrows at this.

"Jimmy!' Justin sputtered. "How do you expect us to pay for all this?! You know very well we've been trying to save money for the past few mon-"

"DUCK!!"

Colin tackled both of them to the cold tiled floor just before the door leading into the grocery flew off its hinges, soaring through the air where Justin's head was a few seconds before. It crashed on the wall right behind the cashier's counter. The clerk screamed and ran out through the store's back door.

"What the heck?" Jimmy said, looking up towards the doorway, as Justin hurriedly shrunk the groceries and stuck them into his coat pocket.

"Well, well, well...what do we have here?" said a wheezy voice from behind one of the pale white mask. Two figures stood there in dark ebony robes, their wands aloft.

"Ohhh...Ickle mudbloods on the run now, are we?" the other cackled in a high-pitched voice.

"_Oppugno!_" Justin cried, pointing his wand at the debris scattered on the floor behind the counter.

The bits of splintered wood rose into the air and flew towards the Death Eaters.

"_Incendio!_" one of them barked and jets of flame shot out of his wand, burning the bits of wood into ash.

Justin grabbed Colin by the collar and Jimmy by the elbow and the three of them twisted into oblivion, just before the Death Eater sent another blast of fire in their direction.

Miles away, the three boys reappeared onto the shores of a riverbank, their breaths heaving as they strugled to refill their lungs after the unpleasant feeling of Apparition. Behind them was a thicket of forest, the trees tall and dark, looming over them like sentinels.

Giving himself no time to rest, Justin once again started circling around, muttering incantations.

"How'd they find us?" Jimmy asked worriedly.

"..._Salvio Hexia_..._Muffliato_...well, it certainly helped that Colin screamed from the mountaintops," Justin said dispassionately.

"Hey! Just because I was a bit loud doesn't mean that they could assume that I was a wizard!" Colin protested, seating himself on a large rock next to the river.

"He has a point," Jimmy said thoughtfully.

"..._Protego Totallum_...yes, but you didn't need to have drawn attention to yourself!" Justin said heatedly. "The Death Eaters know what we muggleborns-on-the-run look like! They're probably stationed in every town in the Britain! Oh, _why_ did I let us go into that store?"

"It's not your fault, Justin," Jimmy said reassuringly, still seated on the ground. "At least we're safe now. I don't think they expected any of us to be able to Apparate."

Colin, looking livid, set up the tent and stormed inside. Looking flustered, Justin pulled out the groceries he had shrunk and turned them back to their original size. Jimmy looked at Justin, how strained he seemed to be. After all, ever since the three of them came together and relied on each other for survival, Justin had taken on the role of being the responsible one. He was the one who made all the plans. He had grown to be some sort of big-brother figure to the two boys in this war between Dark and Light. Jimmy remembered a few months back, when Justin volunteered to be lookout in his place when he had a slight fever, despite the fact that Justin obviously hadn't had a decent night's sleep in weeks. As he watched Justin cut up vegetables and place them over a roaring bluebell fire he had conjured, Jimmy suddenly felt a stab of remorse for all the pain he had caused him.

Justin gave a pained smile in Jimmy's direction.

"So...up for chicken soup, Jim?"

Colin didn't speak much the next day, choosing instead to stay quietly in his bunk inside the tent while Justin sat in a corner reading _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_. Jimmy sat in one corner of the tent, eyeing his friends nervously, occasionally looking out into the dark night. They had decided (well, Justin and Jimmy) to stay in the same spot for another day. The place seemed quite safe giving them a certain sense of security. Jimmy sighed as he watched his two friends who sat on opposite sides of the vast inside of the tent.

_We're in the middle of a war right now_, Jimmy thought, _we shouldn't be fighting. We need to look out for ourselves and each other._

Last night, they had been listening to the Wizarding Wireless Network and heard that two muggleborns were killed right in the middle of Diagon Alley just because they had been begging for a Galleon or two so they could feed their children.

_It's so unfair. The people running the government now are trying to kill us all just because we were born with these powers. It's not our fault we were born like this. We can't help it but they can't seem to understand that. And now they think we've _stolen_ magic..._

Jimmy snorted.

Justin suddenly let out a yelp. Colin and Jimmy looked up, alarmed. Justin reached into his pocket and pulled out a fat gold Galleon thats seemed to be _smoking_. Jimmy looked closer and saw that the symbols on the Galleon were changing, forming words.

"Isn't that the Galleon for the members of Dumbledore's Army?" Colin asked, speaking up for the first time that day. (which is saying something, given the fact that Colin Creevey is an extremely talkative individual)

Justin nodded, a grim expression on his face.

"Well, what does it say?" Jimmy asked, intrigued, for he had never had the chance to be part of the D.A.

Justin turned to look at them, his face grim.

"We're going to fight,"

"NO!!"

"Why not?"

"Because I said so!!"

"Well, you're not the boss of me!"

"Professor McGonagall told you both to stay here!!"

They were at Hogwarts. In the Great Hall where all the students had gathered, all in their nightwear. All the teachers were about rushing them to evacuate the school. The seventh years who were members of the D.A. Looked to be preparing themselves. Colin could see Harry, rushing off into the crowd. You-Know-Who wanted Harry. He said in magically amplified voice that echoed through the grounds. If they handed Harry over, they would all be safe. But they all refused point-blank to turn over the Boy-Who-Lived.

Justin had Apparated into a bar in Hogsmeade called "The Hog's Head" where a man called Aberforth rushed them off into a passage that led them into the Room of Requirement. Justin had told Jimmy and Colin to stay in the Great Hall while he and the others went off into battle. Colin protested, saying that he wanted to help.

Then Hogwarts shook violently, sending them toppling to the floor. Several screams and yelled curses could be heard amongst the noice of shifting dust and stone.

"I want to help!" Colin yelled. "No need to worry! I'll be fine!"

"You're not of age!" Justin yelled back.

Jimmy looked from one to the other, his heart beating fast. Hogwarts was being attacked. Several other students had gone off to join the fray, their wands ready. People rushed into the battle that was going on outside - Aurors, parents of students, Hogwarts alumni – all looking ready to defend their school.

Colin looked at Justin defiantly, made a mad dash for the entrance hall and looked back at Justin with a glare.

"I hate you," he said, his teeth gnashing violently, then ran off into the throng of rushing wizards and witches.

Justin looked stunned for a moment. His mouth slightly agape, his eyes misty. Jimmy looked at him tentatively, afraid to make any move as though it might provoke the older boy.

Hogwarts shook again. The thousand candles above them shook, their lights nearly going out. Jimmy looked outside the doors of the Great Hall and saw desks stampeding past, suits of armors marching off with their weapons held high..

Suddenly he felt something run past him and the next thing he knew, he saw Justin's back retreating down the hall into the grounds.

_That idiot_, Justin thought angrily.

He had ran into the grounds and saw the Battle of Hogwarts going on violently around him. Bodies were strewn across the ground as beams of lights shot in every direction. He saw Terry Boot and Anthony Goldstein sending stunning spells at a large, plump Death Eater. With his large girth, the man toppled over from the impact of the jinxes and landed on of his companions who had shot a Killing Curse at Hannah Abott, who narrowly dodged it. He saw his good friend, Ernie MacMillan who was dueling a tall, gangly man with sinister looking eyes the shade of crimson. The man suddenly seized an opportunity, turned on his heels and rushed into the castle.

"COWARD!!BLOODY COWARD!!" Ernie shrieked, sending a Reductor Curse after the man, hitting the doors of Hogwarts instead, causing them to fly backwards into the entrance hall. He didn't notice another man creeping towards him, wand pointed at Ernie's backside.

"_Incarcerous!_" Justin cried.

Ropes stretched out of nowhere and lashed at the dark figure. They curled around his arms and legs like snakes, rendering him immobile. Ernie's eyes widened in astonishment.

"Bloody hell, thanks, mate," Ernie said breathlessly, giving Justin a weak attempt at a smile before sprinting up into the castle.

Justin turned back to the mad throng before him. People were falling, but he no time to look at who they were. He searched the crowd, dodging curses and hexes and jinxes. He saw Seamus Finnigan, bruised and battered, but still fighting bravely with a witch who looked like the ones described in fairy tales. She shrieked with maniacal laughter as she sent a jet of red light at him.

"_Protego!_" Justin cried, the shield expanding between Seamus and the witch.

The red beam crashed into the transparent shield, shattering it into shards of light.

"_Tarantallegra!_" Justin shouted again, pointing at the witch, who was now leering at him.

The woman's legs immediately started dancing involuntarily beneath her. Kicking and tapping, they carried her away and knocked her into the black lake, where the Giant Squid started wrapping it's slimy tentacles around her.

Seamus looked like he was about to open his mouth but Justin rushed past him before he could say anything. He ran through the crowd of dueling witches and wizards. Blood has stained the grass of Hogwarts but Justin was too busy to care. He looked around wildly, hoping to spot a mop of mousy-colored hair bobbin between taller figures.

He looked around at all the lights that shot around that seemed to illuminate the darkness.

_Oh damn, Colin, please don't be dead...I'll strangle you if you are..._

Then he saw it. Just within the line of his vision.A small figure dashing through the jungle of bodies sending blue rays of lights at the black-robed figures around him.

"COLIN!!"

Colin halted in his tracks, wide-eyed. The young boy raised his wand, pointing it at Justin. The small smile that had appeared on Justin's face from finding his younger friend faltered. His breath hitched in his throat as Colin aimed his wand and screamed, "_Relashio!_"

Red hot speaks erupted from his wand. Justin shut his eyes, preparing himself for the searing hot pain that was to come...but never did. He opened his eyes and saw Colin, his face illuminated by the red spearks that continued to shoot forth from his wand. The sparks were shooting at something above Justin. He turned around and saw a Death Eater, in black robes and a sinister white mask, standing behind him, wand aloft. The sparks were driving him back, singeing his mask and robes and the pale flesh of his arms that were showing. Justin , shocked, looked at Colin who gave him a small smile.

The next moment happened so suddenly, it was as though it all happened it slow motion. A blast of blinding green light hit Colin square on the back. The younger boy fell to the ground, unmoving. Justin heard himself scream but how could he when his throat suddenly felt dry and constricted? He stared at Colin on the ground, spread eagle, his arms and legs in odd angles. A voice screamed in agony and grief in his head.

_He's not dead...he's not dead...HE'S NOT DEAD!!_

He tore his eyes away from the horrible sight of his friend lying lifeless on the ground and looked up. He saw, standing there, a tall, slender woman. She had heavily lidded eyes and a strong-looking jaw. Her eyes were bloodshot and her pupils small, the kind of eyes you'd expect to see on someone who was clearly demented in ever sense of the word. Justin stared at her, his breathing feeling labored. He recognized her. She was in the news. She had escaped Azkaban along with several other Death Eaters.

"Bellatrix Lestrange," he whispered.

"Thaaaat's right!" she cackled, twidling her wand between her thin fingers. She looked down at Colin's body and smirked. "Aw, little mudblood...snuffed out so young. Oh well, we can't have them running around like the disgusting beasts they are, can we?"

Justin felt tears rain down his cheeks, tears of anger and sorrow. He gritted his teeth as he watched her slowly walk over to Colin's body. He looked frail and tiny in death. She stood above the body and perched her foot on top of his head, taking the pose of some mighty hunter who had just conquered the beast he had longed to murder. She saw the look of incredulous shock and rage on Justin's face. She cackled again, cruel and high-pitched. Sneering, she began kicking Colin's head until his body rolled over, revealing the pale young face of the little boy who ran around Hogwarts, camera always at the ready, a trail of blood trickling down his chin from his cut lip.

"You _bitch_..." Justin hissed, raising his wand.

"_INCENDIO!!_" he cried as a wild inferno shot out from his wand, the flames dancing wildly in the moonlight.

Bellatrix looked unimpressed as the flames headed for her.

"So..." she said, smirking. "The little mudblood wants to play with fire now, does he?"

She waved her wand and flames spouted out from her own wand. The two infernos collided in midair, roaring as embers scattered. Next to Justin's flame, Bellatrix's looked more sinister. Her fire was a deep scarlet, almost blood-like. Justin scrambled to Colin's body, his wand still spitting flames. He pulled the younger boy's body against himself as he started to back away, the intense heat starting to overwhelm him.

"Awww...getting tired, little boy?" Bellatrix mocked. "I'm just getting started!!"

She let out an earsplitting screech and her scarlet fire exploded, the force extinguishing the flames from Justin's wand. Wild beasts began to form from the wild fire, raptors and dragons and serpents. The flames touched the grass and spread quickly, surrounding Justin who was still clutching Colin's body tightly against him. Releasing embers into the night air, the cursed fire grew higher and higher. The heat was almost dizzying. Justin glanced around desperately for a way out but he was surrounded. He heard Bellatrix's manaical laugh heading off into the distance, into the direction of Hogwarts castle.

The flames seemed to close in on him, growing hotter by the second. Justin raised his wand with a shaking hand.

"_Aguamenti!Aguamenti!AGUAMENTI!!_" he bawled desperately, his voice cracking.

Water spouted out from his wand in powerful jets, but as soon as they touched the flame, they evaporated into nothing.

"Maybe a shield will work," he wheezed as the smoke from the fire entered his lungs. He pushed Colin up onto his back, his limbs dangling. Justin raised his wand again. "P-_protego!_"

The shield expanded around him, forming some sort of sphere so that he was protected from all sides. All of a sudden, a flaming chimaera leaped out of the scarlet fire and slammed itself onto the shield, shattering it.

"P-p-_protego Totallum!_"

Another shield appeared. But a roaring raptor thrashed into it, breaking just as easily as the first one. The heat intensified. Justin felt tears of hopelessness cascade from his eyes, evaporating seconds later. He looked up at Colin whose head was dangling at an uncomfortable angle. He looked so serene in death. You would have thought he was sleeping.

"I'm sorry...I'm so, _so_ sorry..." he whispered, looking down at the ashen grass.

He remembered those classes with Harry. He recalled every spell he could think of. Out of desperation, he pointed his wand and cried, "_Expecto Patronum!_".

Several wispy threads of silver shot out from his wand, forming a great shimmering hedgehog in midair. A flaming serpent stretched out and wrapped its body around the hedgehog, twisting and thrashing. The hedgehog flickered and faded into nothing as Justin's despair overtook his focus.

The smoke thickened. Justin choked as the smoke invaded his throat. He started to sob, shaking uncontrollably as the fire closed in on him and Colin's body.

_This is it!_

Justin shut his eyes tightly, inwardly preparing himself for death, for the scorching heat that would soon envelope him. He gripped Colin's hand in his own and thought, _maybe I'll see Colin again_.

"JUSTIN!!"

Justin's eyelids shot open. He glanced around searching for the source of the voice but all he could see was wild inferno in every direction closing in towards him in an agonizingly swift pace turning the emerald grass black.

"JUSTIN!!"

Looking up, he saw Jimmy Peakes hovering a few feet above them on one of the ratty school brooms, dodging the fiery raptors and chimaera that tried to reach for him.

"Jimmy?" Justin croaked, his voice hoarse.

"Climb on!" Jimmy cried hovering a few feet lower.

Struggling with Colin on his back, he screamed, "I can't!"

"Are you daft?!" Jimmy roared, soot blackening his face. "You have a wand, don't you?"

Justin looked at his wand and sheepishly heaved Colin off him. Pointing at the lifeless body, he murmured, "_Wingardium leviosa_!"

The body hovered off the ground and onto Jimmy's broom, almost falling off as Jimmy had to maneuver swiftly out of the way of a thrashing serpent. Jimmy weaved in and out of the massive fire creatures as they tried to engulf him in their jaws. Justin swooped down in an amazing dive, almost losing Colin in the process, and snatched Justin off the ground just when the flames swallowed up the spot where he was moments before.

Hoisting Justin up onto the broom behind him, Jimmy zoomed out of the flames as fast as he could. Justin gripped Colin's body tightly as it limply dangled in its arms. Jimmy glanced at Justin as they soared skywards.

"Is he - ?" Justin said loudly over the roar of the wind and the crackle of flames, his voice quivering slightly.

Justin nodded gravely, a few tears gathering in his eyes.

Jimmy's eyes widened and watered.

"LOOK OUT!!" Justin yelled.

The broom screeched to a halt in front of an enormous fiery dragon, poised to jump at them, it's mouth wide open. Jimmy zoomed upward at incredible speed(considering the fact that it was a battered, old school broom) and the dragon followed them, flying skywards.

The wind blew mercilessly at them as the broom continued to escalate with the dragon in hot pursuit, getting close and closer, it's mouth opening wider, ready to crunch. Jimmy gritted his teeth as they continued to climb then he abruptly turned the broom sideways, flying faster than he had ever flown. Over the roar of the wind, he heard Justin screaming random spells back at the monster that continued to chase them.

"_AGUAMENTI!!DURO!!EVANESCO!!_" Justin screeched.

Jimmy made another steep dive, attempting to throw the fire creature off but to no avail. He saw the Forbidden Forest below them, the trees tall and foreboding. Jimmy dove into the thick forest, going over and under branches that stretched out before him. Sneaking a glance over his shoulder, he saw Justin casting spell after spell at the dragon as it ate away everything in its path.

"Jimmy!" Justin yelled, casting an Animation Charm on two thick branches, only to have them burnt to ash by the beast. "Head for the Black Lake!"

"What?"

"TRUST ME!"

Jimmy nodded then sent them flying skywards again, ignoring the branches that prodded and poked him. He zoomed out of the forest canopy and made a beeline for Hogwarts with the fierce dragon on their tail. Over the noise and the pressure plugging up his ears, he heard Justin murmuring some complex incantation and all of a sudden, Jimmy felt himself gripping onto the broom handle for dear life as the object was suddenly gifted with amazing speed. Jimmy maneuvered the broom to the lake, looking still as glass under the pale moon.

"Okay, Jim, I'm going to take a dive, all right?" Justin said earnestly, glancing back at the dragon, which was starting to catch up again.

"WHAT??" Jimmy shrieked. "ARE YOU _MAD_??"

"Trust me," Justin said firmly.

"You _are_ mad," Jimmy said, stunned. He moved the broom so that they were almost to the middle of the steely lake.

"Listen," Justin said through gritted teeth. "I'll jump in the lake and you turn right, okay? Don't worry, I'll be fine." he added quickly as Jimmy cast him a worried look. "When you see me come up, come back for me, grab me and fly up, got it? Oh, and make sure you keep Colin's body safe." He looked down at the body nestled on the broom between him and Jimmy, looking peaceful.

Jimmy nodded grimly.

Jimmy steered the broom over the middle of the lake. Justin leaped off and dived into the freezing cold lake, rippling the calm surface. The fiery dragon suddenly split into two. One zoomed after Jimmy still flying away on his broom and the other dived into the water after Justin.

Justin opened his mouth, his scream muffled by the water and only bubbles came out, as the water around him became scalding hot. He swam to the surface, gasping for breath as blisters erupted on his skin, his hair plastered to his forehead, his clothes uncomfortably heavy. The water abruptly turned back to freezing cold, just as quick as it had turned burning hot. Floating along, Justin glanced around, seeing Jimmy in the distance, making a speedy turn, the second dragon hot on his tail. He suddenly became aware of bubbles popping up next to him on the water's surface. Then with a great mighty eruption like a geyser, a gargantuan dragon, the same size as the one that had just dived into the water, formed entirely from the lake's water reared up, baring its jaws viciously.

Justin whipped out his wand, pointed it at the dragon, and cried, "_Deprimo!_"

Nothing happened. Justin never expected anything to. The dragon threw back its head and let out a horrible screech. It eyed Justin, like a child taking in the sight of a delicious cake that was set before him. It poised its long, slim body, getting ready to strike.

The next moment seemd to happen in a daze - Jimmy flew to the spot, hoisting Justin up by the collar as he zoomed upward at a breakneck speed, narrowly avoiding both dragons as they bore down upon them. The two beasts crashed into each other – water dousing fire, fire boiling water. Great clouds of thick steam enveloped the two boys as they hovered above the lake, peering closely at the thick fog below them, searching for any sign of the cursed monsters.

The steam cleared, revealing a calm lake, reflecting the pale moon above, bearing no sign that it was disturbed of the ongoing war between Good and Evil.

Jimmy breathed a sigh of relief. He looked over at Justin who was tearfully smoothing back Colin's hair which had frizzled in the steam.

The realization sunk in. Colin was dead. The cheerful camera-toting boy who had spent months traveling with them in secrecy. Gone.

He felt tears in his eyes. He looked up at Justin, tears silently sliding down his face, not bothering to tend to his smoking hair.

"Hey, Justin," Jimmy said quietly as he steered the broom towards the shore, feigning deafness to the horrible sounds coming from the castle. "How did you...you know?" He inclined his head downwards to the lake below them as a gesture.

"Oh!" Justin exclaimed, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his singed sweater. "Well, Grimwell's Law of Substances states that a charmed, enchanted or cursed substance can only be neutralized by a substance possessing opposite properties charmed, enchanted or cursed in a similar manner. And a curse or enchantment may be transferred from one substance to another if there is contact and only if the yet-to-be-spelled is in a much greater quantity than the spelled substance. Fifty-nine-point-eighty-seven times greater in terms of wizard molarities, in fact." He had said all of this very fast, as though he were in class and Professor Flitwick had just asked a question.

Jimmy stared at him in amazement, not bothering to ask him what all that meant. He looked down at Colin, the usual rosiness in his cheeks long gone. Holding back even more tears, he whispered "Hold on" and drove the broom towards the castle.

Stumbling onto the grounds, they dashed into the entrance hall, Justin carrying Colin's body on his back. Inside, the battle was still going strong. Terry Boot was fighting a burly Death Eater, their wands clashing like swords. Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell were backing one of the robed figures into a corner. Padma Patil and Michael Corner were on the floor nursing injuries, their robs torn and blood-stained. Justin tore his eyes away from a Death Eater who was being trampled by a rampaging desk when Oliver Wood and Neville Longbottom rushed over.

"I-is that Colin Creevey?" Neville asked incredulously.

Justin nodded, biting his lip.

"Well, let us take him, Justin," Neville said quietly. "To where the others are."

Justin looked a little apprehensive. He felt his fingers grip Colin's own and realized how cold the smaller boy had become.

"All right," he murmured, gently lifting Colin off him and into Neville's arms.

"Justin, come on," Jimmy said, gently tugging Justin's arm. "They need out help."

Stealing on last glance at the tiny, lifeless body, Justin followed the younger boy up the staircase leading up to the second landing.

Several Death Eaters were on the second landing firing curse after curse in every direction. The spells bounced off the stone walls, leaving huge cracks and dents. Large chunks of the ceiling caved in on suits of armor brandishing their swords and axes. Sensing a presence behind them, the two masked figures turned around, spotting the two boys, wands aloft.

One of the figures launched a fiery red beam of light from the tip of his wand, swallowing up Jimmy's muttered Jelly-Legs Jinx and hitting him on the chest. Justin gasped. Jimmy's body momentarily glowed crimson then all of a sudden, he doubled over on the floor, retching and coughing. His face paled then turned a deep blue while he gasped and panted, as though his windpipe was suddenly blocked.

Justin felt fury build inside him. He lost one friend, he was not about to lose another. He pointed his wand at the floor beneath the Death Eaters and screamed, "_DEPRIMO!!_"

The floor beneath them gave away and collapsed, sending them toppling down into the entrance hall below.

Turning back to Jimmy who was already shaking in violent spasms, Justin raised his wand and cried, "_Finite Incantatem!_"

Nothing happened. The younger boy continued to writhe violently as he gasped and choked in an attempt to get some air into his empty lungs.

"_Deletrius!_" Justin sobbed desperately, his wand aimed at Jim's throat.

Still nothing. Jimmy turned a shocking shade of violet.

"_Anapneo!_" Justin bawled, giving his wand another flourish.

That did it. Jimmy heaved in a great shuddering breath of air as his face steadily returned to its normal color. Justin fell to his knees and hugged him tightly. When he let go, Jimmy was surprised to see the older boy's face lined into a stern scowl.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" Justin screeched. "A Jelly-Legs Jinx?! _Honestly._"

At this, Jim's face flared up to interesting hue of red.

"Well, _sorry_, but I only would've been a fourth year this year!!" he yelled back.

"Then why didn't you stay somewhere safe like I told you to?!" Justin retorted. He added with a quiver in his voice. "Look at what happened to Colin!"

Jimmy, looking like he wanted to say something, opened his mouth then closed it. Justn looked him sternly in the eye and with a pang of misery, Jimmy was instantly reminded of his father when he was about to give him a good talking-to.

"Jimmy," Justin said earnestly. "I need you to stay up here. You'd only be in more danger if you go down there."

"But-"

"NO!" Justin said, a little louder than intended causing Jim to wince. "You _have_ to! I'm not giving you any choice in the matter! Not after what happened to Colin..." he added quietly.

Justin turned away, apparently not wanting the younger boy to see him tear up. Jimmy looked at the boy, no, _man_ before him and thought about how much he had grown to be a father figure of sorts to him.

"Yes, _mum_," Jimmy said before he could stop himself, remembering that it was Colin who had always said that.

To his surprise, Justin gave a watery chuckle.

The floor beneath them shook violently, causing them to topple over. Several screams could be heard from below them.

"I need to go down and help," Justin said quietly. "Promise me you'll stay up here and that you'll keep away from the all the fighting."

"Jus-"

"_Promise_ me."

Justin gave him a look quite similar to the one Professor McGonagall gave to troublemakers. Jimmy was surprised that he didn't shudder.

"All right," Jimmy murmured.

"Good lad," Justin said, beaming in spite of himself. He pulled out his wand. "Now, if you just let me.."

He waved his wand over the smaller boy's head, muttering spells. Jimmy felt odd. His whole body tingled and his skin prickled wildly as though several tiny needles were poking at him in different spots.

"..._Impervius_..._Salvio Hexia_...well, that's all I can do but just because you're protected from some moderate jinxes doesn't mean you should go looking for trouble," Justin stated simply. He turned to Jimmy with a sharp glare. "Am I understood?"

Jimmy raised his hand in mock salute. "Sir, yes, sir!"

Justin scowled at him, smiled, gave him a warning look and ran down the stairs, brandishing his wand and screaming spells at the top of his voice.

Jimmy Peakes stood there, feeling helpless. He cringed as he heard the sounds of war, echoing from the corridor below.

" _Stupefy!_"

" - weak, you insolent little - "

"_Expelliarmus!_"

" - enough, filthy mudblood or - "

"_CRUCIO!!"_

"AARRRGHHHH!!"

"STOP!!"

Jimmy's eyes shot wide open. His heart raced, his breathing shallowed. The voice that was screaming...

Could it be...?

He ran over to the giant hole in the floor and looked down.

There, in the middle of it all, was Justin sprawled out on the floor, his back arching in a way it was not meant to, his limbs bending at almost impossible angles. His body thrashed violently on the floor as he screamed.

A Death Eater stood a few feet away, his wand pointing at Justin, flicking it as though he were the conductor of an orchestra. He was deathly pale, with a squared jaw lined with jagged teeth and his eyes gleamed an evil blood red. He cackled as he watched Justin bend and contort before him. The others who were surrounding them were too busy dueling with numerous Death Eaters at once to help Justin.

"Hmmm...this won't do at all...Not _nearly_ as amusing as it should be..." the Death Eater growled. As he pondered for a moment, Justin's body relaxed. His whole body was trembling, coated in sweat, his breathing ragged. "Ah...how's about we go through this again, little mudblood?" the man cackled. "_Silencio!_"

He flicked his wand impressively. "_Crucio!_"

Once again Justin's body started to bend itself into disproportion, his mouth open in silent scream.

"Yes, yes, little mudblood, it hurts doesn't it?" the man hissed, sniggering to himself. "Don't worry...the pain will end sooner than you think..."

"_EXPULSO!!_"

A sound like a gun firing and the man was thrown back with such an extreme force that the wall he crashed into was marked by a long crack. He fell to the ground, unconscious, his head bleeding.

Jimmy Peakes stood at the foot of the stairs, his wand held up high, looking feral. His eyes were wide and a deep scowl was on his face. His hair pointed wildly in every direction as though he had ran his hands through it several times. He looked mad in every sense of the word.

He ran over to Justin who was on his hands and knees on the cold stone floor. He was shuddering in great spasms, gasping for air he had lost in his fit of screaming.

"Justin!" Jimmy cried, rushing over to the boy's side. "Are you all right? Oh, who am I kidding? Of course you're not!"

He knelt down beside the older boy and reached out a tentative hand towards him. He placed the hand on Justin's shoulder. Justin flinched but said nothing. Jimmy, concerned as he was, immediately started bombarding him with questions.

"Is anything broken? Do you feel like throwing up? Do you feel dizzy? Do you feel like running around the grounds wearing nothing but a Puffskein and screaming 'I love blueberry dumplings'?"

Justin stared at him at that last statement and mumbled something like "...talk too much".

Helping Justin ( who screamed with protest that every inch of his body felt sore beyond belief) up, Jimmy started for the staircase.

The battle around them continued. Spells were fired here and there. Wands clashed like lances. Blood was spilled and limbs were broken. All the wizards and witches around the hall dueled with vigor, weaving through the curses and hexes that lit up the hall. Barely noticed were the two boys limping along towards the staircase.

Suddenly, a bright light lit up from behind Justin, hitting him on the small of his back. His eyes wide, he staggered and fell to the floor.

Jimmy stared in horror as Justin convulsed wildly on the floor as his skin began to smoke. Blisters and boils bubbled on the surface of the reddening flesh. Tearing his eyes off the horrifying sight, Jimmy looked up to see who had blasted the spell.

He saw the wizard he had just knocked out. Standing shakily on his feet, his wand help up high, his grin more maniacal than before. His eyes were bulging, making him look even more deranged.

"You...filthy...mudblood..." he said in a hoarse yet carrying whisper. "You...you..._dare_ to...to...interrupt...my _fun_?? Tsk, tsk, tsk...big mistake, boy..."

"_FUN??_" Jimmy cried in disbelief, his voice higher than normal.

"Yes...you...ruined...my..._fun_..." the man hissed, his sneer dripping with more malice. "Now...you...must...pay.."

He raised his wand as did Jimmy.

"_Stupefy!_"

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

The beam of green light that shot out of the Death Eater's wand engulfed the ray of red that burst from Jimmy's and headed for the small boy.

Justin raised the smoking hand that gripped his wand and, with tears spilling out from his eyes, cried out loudly, "_ACCIO ARMOR!!_"

The suit of armor he was pointing his wand at zoomed away from a duel with another hooded figure. The metal suit flew towards Justin and, at some point, crossed between Jimmy and the beam of bright green light.

The curse struck the suit and several things happened at once – smaller rays of emerald light reflected off the metallic surface, striking walls and paintings; the suit of armor exploded into a hundred pieces; and Jimmy was sent flying from the force of the impact, crashing into the stairwell and collapsing.

Smoke filled the entrance hall, making it impossible to see. Justin struggled to stand despite the painful burning sensation all over him. He raised his wand and summoned Jimmy's body which flew to him right out of the smoke, limp and unmoving. Despite his body's pang of protest, Justin hoisted Jim onto his back and sprinted as fast as he could up the staircase, not stopping until he reached the third floor landing.

His chest heaving, he grabbed Jimmy by the shoulders and shook him violently.

"Jimmy?JIMMY!! Oh God, please don't be dead!! PLEASE DON'T BE DEAD!!"

Tears streaked Justin's face as he continued to throttle the smaller boy, still showing no sign of waking up. Choking on his own sobs, Justin flicked his wand and pointed it to Jimmy's chest, crying out, "_Rennervate!_"

Jimmy's entire body glowed a piercing blue for a moment. To Justin's relief, Jimmy's eyes flickered open and saw the older boy standing above him, his eyes glistening with tears.

"J-justin?" Jimmy murmured weakly.

Without warning, Justin enveloped his friend in a tight hug, showing no signs of letting go anytime soon. Jimmy shot a questioning look at his friend's head which was nestled onto his shoulder.

"..er...Justin?"

"Thank God you're not dead..." Justin murmured, his body still shaking as he shed even more tears. "...I thought I lost you...I was _so_ scared, Jim...you have _no_ idea...I couldn't protect you like I couldn't protect C-Colin..."

"What are you talking about?" Jimmy asked, bewildered, rubbing Justin's back in soothing circles. "You saved my life, you prat. If you hadn't summoned that suit of armor to get in the way, I wouldn't be here to talk about it, now would I? That was a brilliant idea, by the way." he added, chuckling.

Justin hiccuped and let go of Jimmy, his eyes red and watery.

"It was the only thing I could think of..." he whispered, staring at the floor. "I couldn't just sit there and do nothing...and it was only a stroke of luck that the armor I summoned got in the way in time..."

There was an awkward silence between the two of them. Jimmy couldn't think of anything to say as his mouth fell open dumbly. He noticed that Justin's skin still smoked, looking red and scalded, like he had been dunked into a cauldron filled with boiling water.

The silence was broken by the ghost of the Fat Friar. He flew through the hallway, waving his arms madly, moaning, "Harry Potter is dead! Harry Potter is _DEAD_!!"

Justin felt all the hope drain from his body. No, it couldn't be true...Harry, the best in Defense Against the Dark Arts...the Boy Who Lived... the 'Chosen One'...the one who was supposed to defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named...dead? He felt his throat constrict painfully. He didn't realize he had started crying again until he felt the salty tang of tears trickle into his mouth, still wide open in an unbelieving gape.

There was no hope left. There was no point in fighting anymore. The Dark Lord will rise up and take over. Justin, Jimmy, and all the other muggleborns were going to be slaughtered mercilessly. Happiness and hope had become a distant memory as he listened to the shrieks and cries echoing from other parts in the castle. He was vaguely aware of how dim the corridor had become.

Suddenly, the torches in the wall extinguished their flames. The hall became dark and cold. Jimmy's breath came out in spiraling smoke as he tried to get Justin to stand. The older boy's skin had cooled significantly and both of them were shiverring.

"Justin...please...you have to get up..." Jimmy pleaded, afraid of what this sudden change in atmosphere could mean.

But Justin didn't get up but continued to weep silently on the floor. The cold worsened. Icicles formed on the ceiling and a light frost coated the walls and floor. Jimmy looked up and saw it. Floating in midair at the end of the corridor, tall and intimidating, it's dark cloak moving in a nonexistant breeze, it help up a skinless, rotted hand in their direction.

"A dementor..." Jimmy whispered, awed yet frightened at the same time.

Another one appeared, looking equally sinister. The two beings glided towards them, sensing Justin's agony and despair. They would've licked their lips, if they had any, at the promise of the delicious meal before them.

"Justin, snap out of it!" Jimmy cried, shaking the other boy who refused to budge.

Justin's eyes were glassy, as though the Dementor had already bestowed its deadly kiss upon him. He sat there, oblivious to everything around him as he felt his inner turmoil grow.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad having his soul taken. He wouldn't have to feel anything at all. All his suffering would finally end. All the pain and all the misery. Gone. He found himself anxious as he felt the sorrow worsen. His chest cramped painfully. He could hear Jimmy's voice echoing into his ears, as though he were calling from a great distance. Jimmy's pain could end too, he thought. He wouldn't have to suffer in a prejudiced community, bent on exterminating his kind.

All of a sudden, the image of Colin flashed in his mind's eye.

"_Stay strong, Justin_," the image chirped, the familiar brown-hazel eyes twinkling. "_You can get through this! I know you can! Remember when you promised you'd keep me and Jim safe? You've kept us safe for this long and I think that's quite an achievement, don't you?_"

_But I couldn't keep you safe_, Justin thought bitterly. _You were killed_. A stray tear escaped his eye and trailed down his cheek.

"_Oh, that?_" Colin said, laughing. "_That was _MY_ fault, Justin. You shouldn't blame yourself. You _MUSTN'T _blame yourself. I should've listened to you_"

Justin couldn't help himself from thinking, _yes, you should've_.

The Colin in his mind laughed again. "_Yes, yes, you don't have to rub it in. Now go on and keep the other half of your promise. And give Jimmy my regards, why won't you?_"

The image disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Justin, looked up, suddenly realizing how frigid the air was. He saw Jimmy standing before him, his arms raised as though shielding him from the cloaked beings that now loomed over the smaller boy.

One of the dementors swooped down and made brief contact with Jimmy's face. The young Gryffindor felt his breath being sucked out of him. An odd sensation went through him. It was like his blood as retreating back to his heart, leaving his limbs limp and shaking. He staggered on his feet but stood his ground. Another dementor bore down upon him. He raised his wand shakily and cried, "_Stupefy!_"

The red beam hit its target but did nothing. The dementor made contact with Jimmy's face just as the other one did as though they were taking turns taking bits of his soul. The small boy's knees buckled but he continued to stand there bravely, refusing to let the dementors get to Justin.

Looking on in horror, Justin found himself racking his brain for the happiest thoughts he could think of. But it was a difficult task. The misery crept through him like a quick-working poison and he couldn't think properly knowing his friend was close to suffering a fate worse than death.

He remembered back on Colin's birthday – the three of them sitting in the tent, devouring the chocolate cake Justin and Jimmy had baked. It had eventually turned into a food fight where all three of them ended up being coated in fudge and mousse. He raised his wand and said as clearly as he could, _"EXPECTO PATRONUM!!_"

Silver wisps of light erupted from his wand. The wisps came together to form the large hedgehog patronus which charged at the dementors, knocking them back several feet.

His wand still aloft, Justin rushed to Jimmy's side as his legs finally gave away and he fell to the floor, gasping.

"You all right?" Justin asked, as the patronus hedgehog disappeared from view as it rammed the dementors down the adjoining corridor.

"Yeah...thanks..." Jimmy replied, panting.

"Come on...let's go..." Justin said, lifting Jimmy up.

"Where are we going?" Jimmy asked, bemused as they headed down the stairs.

Justin looked at him pointedly.

"We're going to keep fighting, of course," he said, as though stating the obvious.

Jimmy looked at him and noticed he walked with a slight limp. _Probably from going through that Cruciatus Curse_, he thought. Several burn marks adorned Justin's skin and he winced slightly as they walked, as though every step was costing him.

"Are you sure?" Jimmy asked uncertainly. "Do you think you can?"

Justin stared at him as though he said something stupid.

"Of course," he said simply.

Another explosion sounded and yells echoed through the castle. It sounded like a revolution. The noise of several feet pounding against the floors caused the whole place to vibrate as though a stampede of raging Hippogriffs has thundered inside the castle. Holding on to Jim's wrist tightly, Justin pelted down the stairway with the vigor of a much healthier man.

Down below, in the first floor, the battle raged. Centaurs and Thestrals led by a Hippogriff had joined the fray, trampling several Death Eaters. The House Elves from the kitchens ran through the crowd, yielding knives and other possibly lethal kitchen utensils, stabbing at the legs of the dark-robed figures. Hogwarts students and their families, Hogsmeade residents, and teachers rushed into the Great Hall, yelling and screaming, their wands held high. As soon as the two boys reached the bottom of the stairs, they were buffeted by the crowd into the large chamber.

The large room was filled by the sounds of several duels going on at once. In the center of it all, You-Know-Who himself was battling Professor McGonagall, Professor Slughorn, and Kingsley Shacklebolt all at once. He was just as Harry had described him – pale and snakelike. He looked enraged as he fought the other three, dodging the spells they sent his way. Justin searched the crowd. Then he saw him, the Death Eater who had tortured him, who had almost killed Justin. He had sent a spell flying at Dean Thomas, causing him to crash through one of the windows. The man cackled and saw Justin. Their eyes met and a spark ignited between them.

Justin crossed the hall in large strides, avoiding the stray hexes that flew about dangerously. He stopped when there was a few feet between the two of them.

"Well, well, well...look who it is," the man laughed. "Come back for more?"

Wordlessly, Justin closed the space between the two of them and they dueled.

"What's your little friend gonna do when the you're gone?" the man taunted as their wands crossed. "Who's gonna save him from the big bad bullies?" he grinned, his crooked teeth showing.

"Who said I'd be gone?" Justin retorted, sending a Conjunctivitis Curse at the man who narrowly dodged it. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Aw, how cute," the man cooed mockingly. "You think you'll win this?"

"I don't think," Justin smirked. "I _know_."

Justin jabbed his wand to the man's chest in a swift motion and whispered, "_Petrificus Totalus!_"

The man froze. His legs snapped together and his arms stuck to his sides. He fell to the floor, stiff and unmoving. His eyes glared up at the boy, burning a hole through the grinning face.

"Hmmm...this won't do at all...Not _nearly_ as amusing as it should be..." Justin murmured in a good imitation of the man's hoarse voice, grinning wickedly. "How about we make this more _fun_?"

He flicked his wand, pointing it at the man's horrorstruck eyes, and said, "_Furnunculus!_"

Horrible red boils erupted all over the man's eye. Surely if he could speak at all, he would be screaming his lungs out.

Justin knelt beside the man and whispered in his ear. "Oh yeah...and for you're information, _I'm _a_ mudblood_."

Smirking, he stood up. He was startled as everyone around him screamed.

"HARRY!!"

"It's Potter! It's POTTER!!"

"He's _alive_!"

Justin stood on tiptoe to look over the sea of heads. There, in the middle of the Great Hall, was Harry himself, wand in his hand, facing You-Know-Who. The two of them glared at each other as everyone else looked on with bated breath. The two figures in the center of the hall seemed to be arguing. You-Know-Who looked ready to kill while Harry seemed calm and looked unintimidated by the other's piercing glare. They raised their wands. Everyone in the room looking on seemed to have stopped breathing.

"_Avada Kedavra!"_

"_Expelliarmus!_"

There was a sound like a canon. The two spells had met and exploded with an incredible force. To everyone's surprise, the wand the Dark Lord held spun out of his grasp landing on the floor with a clatter that echoed through the silent hall. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named staggered bag, his slitted eyes rolling back, his mouth agape from shock. He fell dead from the Killing Curse that rebounded off a simple Disarming Spell. Harry Potter stood there, looking triumphant.

There was a momentary silence from the shock of the onlookers. Then the hall exploded with cheers. Justin saw Ron and Hermione rush to Harry, engulfing him in their arms. Neville, Ginny, and Luna Lovegood followed, joining them in an enormous group hug. The Weasley family and the professors, along with Kingsley Shacklebolt were there too. Screams erupted all around knowing that it was over at last.

Jimmy was suddenly at his side, throwing his arms around his neck, and jumping up and down happily. Ernie appeared from the crowd, dragging him along until he was there with the rest of Dumbledore's Army, congratulating Harry who looked sheepish but happy.

In the euphoria, a huge feast was prepared with everyone seated in the Great Hall on the four House tables. But they were no longer divided by House. They all sat whereever they felt like, laughing with family and friends, relieved that the war was over once and for all.

Justin sat at the Gryffiindor table between Jimmy and Ernie, who was talking to Hannah Abott. Seamus, Dean, Neville, and the Patil twins sat across them. A few feet away, Harry was talking to Luna Lovegood, who suddenly yelled, "Oooh, look, a Blibbering Humdinger!"

Justin shook his head, amused. He watched as Harry threw his Invisibility Cloak over himself as everyone else in the hall turned to see whatever it was Luna was pointing at. Justin grinned. Jimmy, who had fallen asleep on Justin's shoulder, snored loudly.

"Poor bloke's all tuckered out," Seamus said, taking a bite out of a scone.

"It was a tough night." Justin said, yawning, as Jimmy started to drool on his sweater.

"I could take him up to Gryffindor tower if you want," Seamus said thickly, his mouth full of scone. "I need a bit of forty winks meself."

"That'd be great," Justin replied wearily. "Sure it wouldn't be any trouble?"

Seamus shook his head.

"Thanks," Justin said gratefully, getting up, carefully shoving Jimmy off him. The small boy, still asleep, fell down and was now sprawled across a small part of the bench they were all sitting on.

Justin left the Great Hall, crossed the entrance hall(ignoring the Aurors taking away the struggling Death Eaters) and headed down to the Hufflepuff common room. He passed by a huge portrait of a bowl of fruit which led to the kitchens. He considered getting a glass of warm milk to sedate him. He stretched out his hand and started to tickle the pear in the portrait. The great big fruit squirmed and turned into an enormous green handle. Justin reached out and opened the doorway.

As soon as he entered, several House Elves gathered around him, bowing so low, their long noses brushed the floor.

"Is there anything young sir would like?" one elf asked, beaming up at him.

"..um...a glass of warm milk would be nice..." he said sounding tired.

The elves bowed once more and rushed off to fetch his request.

He looked up to see he was not the only one here. Harry sat at a small table, holding a small mug up to his lips and taking a careful sip. He stared at the drink thoughtfully then turned to look at who was standing in the doorway.

"Hey Justin," he said, sounding tired but happy.

"Harry," Justin said, a bit stunned. "What are you doing here?"

I walked over to the table and sat opposite him. He gave me a sheepish smile.

"Well, I tried to get some rest back at our dorm but I couldn't." he replied. "So I thought a nice cup of hot milk would help."

"Funny, that's what I came here for as well." the Hufflepuff told him.

A House Elf trotted over with a single mug on a tray it held above it's head.Justin took the mug and thanked the elf. It bowed and rushed off. Harry stared at the elf as it left and shook his head.

"I'm surprised they don't turn into hunchbacks with all that bowing..."

The other boy laughed, choking on my milk as he drank. He placed his mug on the table and looked at the white substance in it thoughtfully.

"So..." Justin said, attempting to start a conversation. " Almighty Hero of the Wizarding World, what are you going to do after all this?"

He flushed at the nickname but grinned.

"Dunno," he replied, shrugging. "I was hoping that I could become an Auror."

"Well, after today, I don't see why you shouldn't be," Justin said, smiling. " 'the Boy-Who-Lived', 'the Chosen One', and now, 'the Man-Who-Survived'. I can easily imagine you becoming Head Auror in a few years."

Harry gave me a skeptical look.

"I'm serious," the other boy reassured him. "I mean, the Auror Office has been rubbish for the past few years. Having you as Head would be an improvement."

He gave Justin a weak smile and muttered 'thanks'.

"Hey Harry, can I ask you something?"

Harry cocked his head to the side, wondering what on earth Justin Finch-Fletchley could possibly ask of him.

"What?"

"Well, how do you deal with it when someone close to you died?"

Justin covered his mouth with his hand as if he had said something he wasn't supposed to. He looked furious with himself. Harry stared at him blankly. He knew _exactly_ how it felt to lose someone you felt close to – Sirius and Remus, for example. But why would Justin ask him a question like that? Unless...

"Who?" he asked.

Harry saw Justin's knuckles go white as he gripped his mug more tightly.

"Colin Creevey."

It was barely a whisper but Harry could hear the pain in the other boy's voice as he said the name. Harry stared at Justin as he ducked his head, as though ashamed of himself. He remembered seeing Oliver Wood carrying Colin's body to the Great Hall. And he felt a pang of guilt as he remembered the times when he was rude to Colin about how often he took pictures of Harry, regardless of how embarrassing the situation was.

"Really? When did you two become close?" Harry couldn't help but ask and hoped he didn't sound rude.

The curly-haired boy explained how they had met while they were both on the run. He told Harry about how Colin had died and that his last words to Justin were 'I hate you'. Harry scowled when he heard that it was Bellatrix Lestrange who had killed Colin. When he finished telling his tale, Harry gave him a sympathetic look.

"Well, it wasn't your fault," Harry told the other boy. "Voldemort and his supporters enjoy ripping apart families and friends like that." he said scathingly, ignoring Justin wincing at the name.

Justin looked unconvinced.

"I know what it feels like, you know." Harry said quietly. "Seeing someone you're fond of die right before your eyes, thinking that you could've done something to stop it. You think that it was entirely your fault why that person had to die the way they did. You feel like you would give anything to have them back or turn back time so you could stop it from happening."

Justin listened intently.

"But the thing is, there's nothing you _can_ do," Harry said earnestly, looking at Justin who shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "You just have to realize that it was inevitable. No matter how much you cry or grieve or throw temper tantrums - " Harry grinned awkwardly at that last one. "- they're never coming back and you just have to accept that. If that person cared for you the way you cared for them, they would want you to move on with life. They wouldn't want you to suffer just because they suffered. They wouldn't want you to give up opportunities to be happy just because you're too busy mourning. They'd want you to be happy, right?"

Justin remembered the image of Colin in his head, grinning and laughing. He nodded mutely. Harry gave him another small smile and took another sip from his mug. He put it down and stood up.

"Well, I'd better get some rest." he said simply. "I imagine tomorrow's going to be a busy day. I'll see you later."

He stood up, offered Justin a final grin and left, with a dozen or so House Elves meeting him at the doorway to see him off.

Justin peered into the milky depths of his mug, thinking.

_Colin would've wanted me to be happy, right? I mean, he wouldn't have wanted me to mope a lot because of what happened. He would've wanted me to go on and be happy, right?_

If only he knew the answer to that question.

Suddenly, the image of Colin flashed in his head, grinning broadly and saying what he had said mere hours ago, "_No need to worry, I'll be fine._"

And that was enough.

"Now, who can tell me why Animation Charms aren't considered as Transfiguration spells?"

As usual, Rose Weasley's hand was first in the air, nearly knocking over Albus Potter who was sitting next to her. Scorpius Malfoy who was sitting on her other side muttered something that sounded like '_Ravenclaws'_.

"Yes, Ms. Weasley?"

"Animation Charms aren't considered as Transfiguration magic because Transfiguration involves altering an objects physical traits to make it resemble a completely different object. Animation Charms do not follow this statement seeing as they merely cause an object to come to life momentarily or allow it to sprout limbs or certain parts of a human's or animal's anatomy."

"Nicely said! Five points to Ravenclaw!"

Minutes larer, the Charms classroom was filled with the voices of students trying to do a simple Animation Charm on the pineapple on their desks. Professor Finch-Fletchley watched them all with mild interest.

"Ah no!" Albus Severus cried in dismay. The pineapple he was supposed to be enchanting so that it could tapdance across the table merely sprouted legs and ran off.

"Nice," Scorpius snickered.

"You try doing it then!" Albus challenged, his face flushing.

Scorpius murmured the spell and tapped the pineapple causing it to burst into flame. The blond boy was so surprised he toppled off his chair.

"_Honestly_," Rose muttered, extinguishing the flames with a flick of her wand.

Albus bent over and pulled out a chunk of the scorched pineapple. He nibbled on the piece thoughtfully. "Could use a tad more salt..." he said thickly.

"All right, enough talk over there!" Professor Finch-Fletchley called. "I expect your pineapple to be able to at least do a little jig, Mr. Potter! Mr. Peterson, if you'd stop ogling Ms. Cornfoot, then maybe you'd be able to concentrate on your schoolwork a bit more! And Mr. Goyle, that better not be one of those Weasley Wizared Wheezes..."

"All right, now, I want a ten-inch essay on Animation Charms and their uses. And I don't want to see any word-for-word statements from _the Standard Book of Spells_, you hear me?" the Professor announced as the class got up to leave, packing away their books and clearing their tables of bits of blown-up pineapple.

As everyone headed for the door, Rose Weasley went to him with Albus and Scorpius reluctantly in her wake.

"Professor?"

Justin looked up from the books he was stacking up. "Ms. Weasley, what are you still doing here?" he asked bemused. "You should be going to Herbology. If you're late, Professor Longbottom would probably skin me alive and I know very well that he can, too."

The two boys sniggered.

"Well, professor, my mother asked me to give this to you." she said, holding up a small envelope.

"Oh," Justin said, stunned. He took the letter from her and muttered a 'thank you'.

Just as they were about to leave, he called out to Albus.

"Oh, and Mr. Potter, _do_ warn Professor Longbottom that I saw your brother and his friends sneak off to the greenhouses with a box of Filibuster's Fireworks. Merlin knows what could happen in there. You'll all probably end up covered in Mooncalf dung..."

Albus Severus Potter smiled and said, " I will, professor."

And with that, they left.

Sitting wearily on the chair behind his desk, Justin opened the envelope. Hermione's neat handwriting was scrawled across the parchment.

_Dear Justin,_

_How are you? And how's the teaching going? I know this is only your third year so it's probably still difficult to get used to most things. I hope the kids aren't giving you any trouble. It's been a while since we chatted, hasn't it? I was wondering if you'd like to come to our place in London later for a nice afternoon tea. I know it's _that _day and that you'll be free for most of the afternoon so please do come if you can. Harry, Ginny, Neville and Hannah are coming as well. And I'm sure Hannah will probably drag Ernie along. Please give it some thought._

_ Sincerely Yours,_

_ Hermione G. Weasley_

Justing glanced down at the letter, grinning. He still couldn't get used to the idea of Hermione being called 'Mrs. Weasley'. It was a known fact that she and Ron had bickered endlessly back in their school days. He smiled fondly when he remembered the time when Ron barged in on their study session in the library and started going on about a dead rat or something.

It was true that he was free this afternoon. The whole school would be celebrating at that time.It was second of May – the day of the Battle of Hogwarts and the fall of Lord Voldemort(he finally wasn't afraid to say the name aloud).

Folding the letter and pocketing it in his robes, Justin trotted to the door and locked it,getting ready to leave seeing as there was only one subject left before the feast and he didn't have any classes scheduled at the time. He put on his cloak and set out for Hogsmeade where he could Apparate to the place he went every year on this day.

Miles away, in a small village on the outskirts of London, a figure in an old overcoat stood over a grave in the middle of a cemetary. The grave was under the shade of a small cherry tree, whose leaves rustled in a gentle breeze that blew by, also ruffling the man's mouse-colored hair.

The man smiled as he heard a faint cracking sound nearby. He felt the presence of another person behind him. He turned around and his grin widened.

"Hey Dennis,"

"_Professor_ Finch-Fletchley."

The man that had appeared scowled. Dennis laughed, his hazel eyes twinkled mischievously.

"I've half a mind to jinx right now," Justin muttered, the fringes of his cloak drifting along with a small gust of wind.

"Right," Dennis said, still chortling.

Justin ignored him and looked down at the grave. The engraving on the marble tombstone was clear and embroidered with a picture of a great rearing lion. The name read COLIN CREEVEY and below the name – _A true Gryffindor until the bitter end_.

"How long have you been here?" Justin asked knowing full well how much time the younger Creevey spent at his brother's grave.

"A half-hour, I think..." Dennis said, thoughtfully.

Justin looked at the younger boy. He was his older brother in miniature. Even after nineteen years, he still had the air of a naive and exuberant youth. Of course, life hadn't been so merciful on him in the past few years, diminishing the happy twinkle in his eye. Justin noticed that his overcoat was a bit threadbare in some places and his face seemed a bit gaunt and prematurely lined. He was suddenly reminded of Professor Lupin back in his school days.

"So, how are things going at Hogwarts?" Dennis asked, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets.

"Fine," Justin said, smiling. "The kids are great. The Slytherins don't really act like the arses they used to be. James Potter seems to be the Weasley twins all over again. Pulling pranks left, right and center..."

Dennis laughed.

"What about you? How are things going at the Department of Magical Transportation?"

"Not too bad," the shorter man said. He turned to Justin, his eyes sparkling. "I got promoted the other week! I've become the assistant to the Head of the Floo Network Authority!"

"Wow! Congratulations!" Justin cried happily, giving Dennis a one-armed hug.

"Thanks," Dennis said, looking sheepish. "I was just telling Colin before you arrived."

Justin smiled.

"He would've been proud, Dennis."

Dennis' grin widened as he looked down at the marble tombstone.

Justin looked around warily, making sure there was noone around. He pulled his wand out from his sleeve, waved it over his head and conjured a bouquet of flowers- roses and goldenrods.

"Gryffindor colors?" Dennis sniggered, arching an eyebrow at the arrangement.

Justin glared at him halfheartedly as he nestled the flowers against the grave.

"You want to come with me to the Weasleys'?" Justin asked. "They invited me over for tea. I'm sure they wouldn't mind me bringing them an extra guest."

"Which of the Weasleys?" Dennis asked confused.

"Ron and Hermione," Justin said.

"Oh," Dennis murmured. "Well, okay, but only because you're sure they won't mind..."

Justin grinned, stuffing his wand into his cloak pocket as he noticed a muggle couple enter the graveyard. His eyes met Dennis's and the shorter man nodded curtly.

"Oh, by the way, how's Jimmy?" Dennis asked as they headed for the cemetary's gate, seeking out a safe place to Disapparate

"Oh, same old, same old," Justin replied as they walked out into the street. "He sent me a letter this morning. He says he'll come visit Colin later after practice then we're meeting at the Three Broomsticks for a late supper. Oliver Wood's been working his team to the bone lately."

"Bet the people of Puddlemere United really regret making him their captain..."

They reached the end of the street which was quiet except for a dog scrounging through a garbage bin. In the distance, they could see the cherry tree that shaded Colin's grave from the afternoon sun.

"You know what, Justin?"

"What?"

"I reckon Colin would've been proud of you and Jimmy, too."

Justin smiled before he and Dennis twisted into the air and vanished completely from sight.

A/N: So how was it? Good? Bad? Outstanding? Exceeds Expectations?Troll? Review! ImperioREVIEW I SAY!!

NOTES: I wrote this after reading DH for the seventh time(?) and saw the part when McGonagall is yelling at Colin and Jimmy Peakes 'cause they want to fight but are underage. I thought 'why is Colin there when he's a Muggleborn and he's not supposed to be at Hogwarts?'. And that's how this fic came to be!

Sorry, but it's unbeta-fied...I can't get one since this is a new account. Grrr...

I'm not entirely sure about Jimmy Peakes's blood status so I guessed it! Oh, and, in case you don't know him, he's in Colin's year and plays beater for the Gryffindor Quidditch team in HBP.

Neville married Hannah Abott, according to most official websites. And since she's so close to Ernie and Justin, I figured the Potters and Weasleys would be seeing them occasionally. JKR also changed _Ennervate_ to _Rennervate_(check Mugglenet if you want details). And you can read all about Mooncalf dung in _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_.

Now, go and review...or else...FURNUNCULUS


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